1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an antenna and tuner combination, and more particularly, to such a combination apparatus with a flat antenna module and a TV tuner adapted for use to be mounted indoor for receiving microwaves from a broadcasting satellite and providing a tuned output immediately available at a television set.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of receiving television programs carried on microwaves from a geostationary broadcasting satellite, a flat or planar antennas has been widely accepted due to its space-saving configuration and superior aesthetic appeal as compared to a parabolic antenna. Such flat antenna is normally installed at an outdoor site with its face oriented to the satellite and is connected through a cable to a TV tuner which is mounted indoor for selection of a particular broadcasting channel from the output of the antenna to give corresponding video and audio signals to a television set. However, it is rather inconvenient to install the antenna at an outdoor site and route the cable between the antenna and the tuner. Further, due to the fact that different installation sites require, in most cases, different lengths of the cable for interconnection between the antenna and the tuner, it is a common practice to cut the cable to a suitable length. A problem occurs in this respect that, because the cable should be a coaxial cable and is normally required to be connected to specially configured sockets of the antenna and the tuner, the coaxial cable should have insulation stripped of its ends to expose conductors and then be connected at the conductors to pin-plugs of a design complementary to the socket. Such wiring technique requires a degree of skill and is difficult to be made by an unskilled personnel or user. In this sense, there is a considerable burden on interconnecting the antenna and the tuner. Besides, when the antenna is mounted indoors adjacent windows or the like to catch the microwaves therethrough, it may sometimes become a hindrance when not in use.